The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week announced training to build the capacity of states to integrate environmental justice into their decision-making process. Over the next year, EPA will conduct a national webinar series developed in collaboration with state partners.
The five national training webinars, which will be accessible through a publicly available website, will serve as an ongoing resource for state staff and others interested in developing their environmental justice knowledge and expertise. Planned topics include identifying and prioritizing environmentally-impacted and vulnerable communities, enhancing community involvement in the regulatory process, using an area-wide planning approach to promote equitable development, and application of environmental justice to state environmental impact assessments. To complement the online trainings, EPA Regions will conduct training on environmental justice for their respective states.
For many years, EPA has heard from its state partners about the need for systematic training on environmental justice principles, methods, and practices. Many groups, including frontline communities, have called for EPA to focus on state collaborations as an important part of its environmental justice work. This new training recognizes that success in addressing many environmental justice challenges depends heavily on states and supports EPA's strategic vision for environmental justice as outlined in the Agency's strategic plan.
For more information about the webinar series, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/identifying-and-prioritizing-environmentally-impacted-and-vulnerable-communities-tickets-58152373314
For more information about environmental justice: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice
Innovative Transit Workforce Development Projects: FTA Releases Summative Evaluation of 2012 Projects
The US Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) believe that human capital is as important as physical capital. To help address transit workforce challenges, in 2012 FTA funded 16 innovative transit workforce development projects. In 2016, FTA engaged Axiom Corporation to conduct a summative evaluation of these projects to gauge effectiveness against proposed goals and assess if further Federal investment was warranted. Axiom conducted document review and structured interviews with participants from 14 projects.
A Summary Evaluation Report of those projects is now available.
USDA Launches New Youth and Agriculture Website
The Department of Agriculture has announced the launch of a new Youth and Agriculture website to connect young people and youth-serving organizations with Department-wide resources that engage, empower, and educate the next generation of agricultural leaders.
The USDA Youth and Agriculture website features three key components of agriculture-focused youth engagement - classroom studies, experiential learning, and leadership training. Educators can find ways to include agriculture in the classroom and beyond. Young people can learn about USDA summer outreach programs, youth loans for business projects, and outdoor volunteering. Community leaders can get tips on starting leadership development clubs and education programs. The site also highlights USDA partners, such as 4-H, the National FFA Organization, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), Agriculture Future of America (AFA), and many others working with the Department to connect young people with opportunities in agriculture.
For the career curious, the website provides information on internships and scholarships, USDA employment, and information on agriculture career fields, such as forestry, robotics engineering, biochemistry, and food sciences. Storytelling will help young people learn from peers about youth-led innovations and success stories in agriculture.